{{image url="images/pics/random.php" title="Maulana Sheikh Nazim" class="left" alt=Pictures of Maulana Sheikh Nazim}}**As You like, oh My Lord... **
As much as you believe in your Sheikh, you may give the reins over to his hands, and so find rest and satisfaction in your heart. As long as you are trying to catch the reins in your own hands, you are carrying a great burden on your shoulders. Sheikhs are the inheritors of the Prophets and are offering to carry your burdens, and you must give your burdens to them. Just put your desires in line with the Sheikh's; that is the way to open your heart to Heavenly Power. Then you may see or hear or know something which you cannot know now.
So many Murids have high spiritual aspiration, Himma, and they say: "Oh my Sheikh, I am asking for Himma in order that my soul may be activated." The Sheikh replies: “Oh my Murid, I am asking service from you, Khidma. You must be like me. When you are like me, my spiritual powers may come to you; but if we are not of the same kind of metal, the current cannot pass through you. I am copper, and you must not remain stone..."
Allah Almighty asked the Prophet to be with Him, and the Prophet asked the Sahaba to be with him. To be 'with him' meant for them to be as he wished them to be. The Sheikh also asks Murids to be 'with him'.
The Prophet sws. was saying about Abu Bakr r.a. that he was someone who had 'died before he died', because he had absolutely left all his desires behind, so that there was nothing left of them in the face of his Lord and his Prophet. He was a dead person with no desire for this life. When he had arrived at this state, he was like a shadow of the Prophet, entirely in agreement with him, never leaving his way. Because of this attribute, Abu Bakr became trustworthy in all respects, and thus the Prophet was able to plant many knowledges in his heart. Therefore, in spiritual rank, Abu Bakr was at the top of all companions of the Prophet. The Prophet praised him, saying that if his faith was balanced against the faith of the whole Ummah, his would be heavier. On the Day of Promises, when everyone was asked by Allah Almighty: "Am I not your Lord?" and we replied: "Yes, You are our Lord", on that day, if it had not been for Abu Bakr teaching everyone with his spiritual power, no one could have said: "Yes".
Our Grandsheikh said that everyone has a share of Abu Bakr's faith, even the person of the lowest degree of faith. From that share, whether they pray or not, so many people will go to Paradise, because it keeps people from a bad ending in this life and the next. "La ilaha ill'Allah, Muhammad Rasulu'llah" is written in the heart; it only needs a chance to show itself... So many people have the seeds of faith in their hearts, deeply planted, only waiting for mercy rain. Mercy may be delayed up to the end; a person may be on his deathbed and begin to cry. This crying attracts that mercy, Allah Almighty says: "My servant is crying", and the seed of faith opens, filling the heart, green with the lights of real faith. He was like a desert, then death comes, and he begins to cry. That is the sign of mercy coming on him. Allah does not leave His servants. He has endless mercy. The Prophet said about Abu Bakr: "Whatever Allah has put in my heart I have poured into the heart of Abu Bakr." Sayyidina Ali r.a. also put his will and desires totally in line with the Prophet's desires. Therefore the Prophet said about him: "I am the City of Knowledge, and Ali is the Gate to that City."
There are 41 Tariqats to make our hearts pure. Forty spring from the heart of Imam Ali, and one, the Naqshibandi Order, is coming from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, r.a. The Prophet had 124.ooo Companions, and Abu Bakr was the grand companion. This is well known among real Tariqat Sheikhs who don't give titles to themselves. They respect the Naqshibandi Order as the first one.
A real Sheikh must know if a Murid was with him on the Day of Promises or not. He has light in his eyes and recognizes his Murids without mistake. You may meet many Sheikhs and take exercises, but not find satisfaction until finding your Grandsheikh. So many Sheikhs are only trainers, but a Grandsheikh must finally call you. This does not happen through words; but there are ways from heart to heart. If a Naqshibandi Sheikh is giving Bayat, he must tell the Murid who the Grandsheikh is in his time for the Naqshibandi Order. He must point to him.
So many people from the West are coming now, invited by the way of hearts to our Grandsheikh. The Golden Chain of Grandsheikhs ends in our Grandsheikh, the last link in the chain. I am only his servant. We are waiting for the Naqshibandi Sheikhs to come and renew their Bayat with us. If not, they are just putting titles on themselves. There may be a thousand Sheikhs, but only one Grandsheikh. If they come together, who will be the Imam? If all of the 124.ooo Sahaba are brought together, who is the Imam? Sayyidina Abu Bakr.
Sayyidina Mahdi a.s. and his seven Grand Wazirs, 99 Caliphas, and 313 Grand Murshids are all in the Naqshibandi Tariqat. In these times, there is no power for other Tariqats to carry people all the way to the ultimate goal. All are invited to renew their Bayat with our Grandsheikh, and they may observe their improvement.
Both Abu Bakr and Ali reached their divine positions and took their holy trusts from the Prophet during their lifetime. Because they desired and did what the Prophet desired and did, they reached a station where they were shown Sayidina Muhammad's real Prophetic Personality in the Divine Presence.
If we can use our willpower as we should, making it accord with our Lord's desires, carrying out our Lord's Will, then we may improve to reach the ranks of Saints and Prophets, approach the Divine Presence and be accepted there. Allah Almighty has said, through all of His Holy Prophets: "Oh My people, if you claim that you are servants, then put your desires in line with Mine, otherwise you are not servants... I am not in need of your worship; all I want from you is that you accord with My Desires."
We have to learn manners and keep a form of discipline, so we can say inside ourselves: "As You like, oh My Lord..."--- --- - 01.04.1999----BookOnthebridgetoEternity, CategoryNaqshbandi, CategorySahaba, CategoryMehdi